Q&A: Is the release of the Lockerbie bomber an aberration?

How common is it for prisoners to be released on compassionate grounds in Scotland?

Twenty-three of the 30 applications for release on compassionate grounds that have been made since 2000 have been granted. A spokesman for the Scottish Prison Service said he was not aware of any pending cases from prisoners seeking early release on compassionate grounds.

What about in England and Wales?

Forty-eight prisoners have been released early on compassionate grounds over the past five years – nine of them in the last year.

What are the grounds for compassionate early release?

In England and Wales, early release can be considered by the secretary of state when a prisoner is terminally ill and likely to die soon. It can also be considered if a prisoner is bedridden or severely incapacitated, or has young children who cannot be cared for by anyone else.

The system is similar in Scotland, where ministers can authorise the early compassionate release of a prisoner who is terminally ill and expected to live less than three months.

Under both systems, ministers must be satisfied that there are sufficient compassionate grounds for release, and be sure that the prisoner does not pose a threat to society.